Mistaken Identity
by G-POW
Summary: Eyeshield/Hitman x-over. A dark organization targets the new head of the Vongola. But their plan is foiled by a case of mistaken identity! With their Ace missing, what's Deimon to do but enlist,blackmail, the help of a new Eyeshield....er...27?
1. Chapter 1: The Meeting

**Mistaken Identity**

* * *

Yo. Chindu here. This is my first fic. Well, not really, but I never really got around to posting anything else……uh…….god, let's see, what do you say in these blasted things….um, well, I think the beginning's kinda vague, but that's who I am.....that doesn't make sense………oh, and if I ever happen to insult anyone in this story or….anywhere else, I just want to say, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!! There…..oh, right, disclaimer.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Eyeshield 21 or Katekyo Hitman Reborn. If I did, then the English dubbed Eyeshield episodes wouldn't be retarded.

**Chapter 1: The Meeting**

* * *

The sky was a clear blue over the warm Mediterranean Sea. The call of the gulls beckoned people to tale a dip in the indigo waters. The small nation of Italy had just begun her morning routines under the rising sun. Her citizens bustled about in the early morning, scurrying to their respective niches. However, in the dark underworld of the country, a very dangerous group of individuals held their meeting.

"So it has already been decided then?"

"Yes. Around six months ago."

"His training has already been progressing."

"Damn! I thought they would have waited until the brat was at least of age to start."

"I guess the old Boss thought that his time was coming and rushed things up a bit."

"It is strange how Xanxus was not chosen instead."

"Must be that damned Vongola Hyper Intuition."

"This poses a problem for us."

"You know what this means, don't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"The problem must be removed."

"What of his Guardians?"

"They are only children. They won't pose a problem."

"I heard they defeated the Varia."

"The current Varia is weak, composed of upstarts with little talent."

"And the rest of the Family?"

"Without its head, the arrow is useless."

"So it's decided then?"

"Agents have already been sent."

"The 10th Family will not see the end of this month."

"Goodbye, Vongola. Heh heh heh…"

* * *

**Notes:**

Yeah, kinda short, but I've got an attention span of like, 10 seconds. I might get around to putting up a summary, like, next year…just kidding. I really couldn't care less if you reviewed or not……….but it'd be nice… =D

- Chindu Prince of Darkness


	2. Chapter 2: Crash Course

Oh right, stuff. I keep on forgetting. Um, thanks, I guess to people who........holy crap he got killed so quick!.......sorry, brother playing Star Wars II Battlefront (it's a game, for all you noobs who don't know.......sorry.)........where was I?...Oh yeah. Thanks to y'all who reviewed. Makes me all, what, tingly inside? Yeah, let's go with that. Um, I really don't know what to say in these things. Maybe I should just omit them. Why am I still typing? Whatever.

Oh, one more thing. The setting is after the Ring battles in Hitman and sometime before the Bando match (you know, the one where Eyeshield's identity is revealed.) so nobody Mamori doesn't know Sena is Eyeshield yet. There.

**Disclaimer:** Oh right, this thing. Uh, I don't own.........damn, he got killed again!..........sorry..........I don't own Eyeshield or Reborn. If I did it would be a drawing of stick people on my walls....

**Chapter Two: Crash Course**

* * *

The Namimori shopping district was bustling with people looking for great deals on goods. Sales were happening in every shop. An occasional firecracker was lit, but when shoppers swarmed towards the sound, to their dismay there was no discount prices to be found. They left puzzled, until the next explosion peaked their interests. But as the shoppers busied themselves with their search, one was frantically looking for a particular shop. He weaved in and out of the crowds, dodging parcels and elbows like an expert. Side-step, cross-step, dodge, turn, jump, all the while at an almost inhuman speed. To the casual observer, it looked as if a miniature tornado was dancing in the crowd. But this was no mere tornado, oh no. This was Kobayakawa Sena, aka Eyeshield 21, ace of the Deimon Devil Bats and master of the Devil Bat Ghost. He was lost.

"Oh man, was it a left turn or a right at the shoe store?" Sena wondered helplessly. He'd been literally running around in circles for the last hour. Namimori was an unfamiliar district to him, and it didn't help that there were some many people here. "I guess it doesn't matter if I'm a football player or not," he sighed, "I'm still just a gofer." But this time he didn't mind. It was for Mamori-neechan. There was a new cake shop that opened up in Namimori and she wanted to try out their cream puffs. However, she had to compile the strategy for their next game, so she asked Sena to buy some for her. He immediately was up for the task. Mamori-neechan had always been there for him, so this was the least he could do to thank her. The only problem was, Mamori's map drawing skills could use more work.

Sena took out the crudely drawn map he was given. It was a simple diagram composed of two locations, Deimon High School and Namimori Cake and Pastry. There were squiggles on the paper that represented turning points. The problem Sena had reached was figuring out whether or not he should go past two intersections or one. He chose one. And that was how he wound up weeping in the alley between Namimori One-Stop Hair Salon and Hoshi's Sack 'n' Save Superstore.

"I know you like cream puffs, Mamori-neechan," Sena moaned to himself, "but why did you want it from a shop this hard to find?" He fumbled with the map to see if he could decipher it some more.

BOOM!

A loud explosion rocked him from his wallowing. It came from deeper inside the alleyway he was standing in. He peered into the darkness, trying to get a glimpse of what it was that caused the noise. _Maybe a firecracker went haywire,_ Sena thought to himself. That is, until a shout erupted from the alley and a small, cow-like thing rammed into him.

"Get back here, you stupid cow!" A silver haired guy with an intimidating look on his face came barreling through the alley. In his hands he held what looked like sticks of dynamite. In his subconscious Sena vaguely traced the explosion back to the dynamite guy. But back to reality. Said explosives-wielding maniac was currently lighting the sticks in his hands, and was preparing to launch them at the cow-thing, and Sena. Sena 'eep'ed and cowered behind his arms, trying to shield himself from the would-be explosion. But then another shout came, stopping Bomber-Man in his tracks.

"Gokudera-kun, wait! Stop!"

Dynamite-Happy-Psycho stopped in his tracks and looked behind him. A boy about the same age (and height) of Sena was running towards them. "Don't light your dynamites here! There are people who could get hurt– Waaaaaa!!!" The boy accidentally tripped on a can and went crashing head first towards Sena.

"Oomph!" Went two voices as they were sent sprawling on the pavement. "Owowowowowowow….." They said simultaneously. Both of them looked at each other and immediately assumed their 'apology' stances.

"I'm so sorry! Please forgive me for tackling you!"

"No, it's my fault! I'm so sorry!"

As the apology fest was going on, the silver-haired boy rushed over to the other boy's side.

"10th! Are you alright? Are you hurt? You bastard!" He swiftly turned towards a stunned Sena. "How dare you knock down the 10th! I'll blow you to smithereens!" With another 'EEP!' Sena ducked behind the closest cover he could find, his doppelganger.

"Wait, Gokudera-kun!" said the other boy. "It was my fault for tripping. I crashed into him. Please stop threatening him!" Gokudera resigned and lowered his dynamite sticks. Sena was amazed at how this boy could get someone as scary as this Gokudera person to stop.

"B-b-but 10th," started Gokudera, before he was interrupted by an annoying cackling.

"Bwahahahaha!!! Lambo-san is the greatest!" The cow-thing was standing proudly on a mailbox, and now that Sena got a good look at it, he saw that it was an afro-ed kid with a cow print suit. And horns. And stuck on said horns was the map that held the only lifeline between him and the ever-elusive cake shop.

"Lambo!" shouted '10th', "Please give back the ring! It's very important!" The cow kid, Lambo, held up an intricately designed ring.

"Hya hya hya! No-Good-Tsuna is not great enough to have a ring this pretty! It's Lambo-san's now! Nyyeehh!!!" He pulled down his eyelid and stuck out his tongue.

"You bastard! You have your own Lightning Ring! And only the 10th is great enough to possess the Sky Ring!" Gokudera proclaimed. "You keep your grubby little hooves off it!" He made a lunge for the kid, but Lambo agilely sidestepped the attempt and darted into the crowd.

"Lambo! Don't! There's too many people!" No-Good-Tsuna exclaimed. "You'll get hurt!"

Instinctively, Sena tensed his legs and propelled himself into the crowd. Light paths appeared before his eyes, outlining the courses available for him. Spotting one that lead to Lambo, he entered the Speed of Light pace and streaked off, leaving a cloud of dust and bewildered spectators. Dodging this way and that, he made his way through the mass. In literally seconds, he reached the child and picked him up, then did a 360 turn and dashed back to his starting point. He slid to a stop and placed the child down.

"Ga…..ga…..ga….."

"Aa…..a…..a……"

Both boys gaped openly at the insane level of speed displayed.

"Um, er, I uh…" began Sena, trying to find words to explain to them.

"Bwa ha ha ha!! That was fun!" Shouted a jubilant Lambo. "Do it again! Do it again!" This snapped the boys out of their reverence.

"You stupid cow! You could have been trampled! Now hand over the ring!" (A/N lol Lord of the Rings :D)

"How-How did you do that?" Tsuna asked incredulously, picking up Lambo. "You were so fast I didn't even see you move!" Sena fumbled for an explanation.

"Ano, well you see, I kinda play a bit of American football and-" His cell's ringtone cut him off. "Oh, please excuse me," he apologized. Whipping it out, Sena answered with a timid, "M-moshi, moshi?–"

"YOU DAMN-SECRETARY!!!"

Sena yanked the phone away from his ears before they were permanently damaged. His eyes then widened in horror as he recognized the enraged ranting.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, SKIPPING PRACTICE?!! OUR GAME WITH NAMIMORI HIGH IS TOMORROW SO YOU'D BETTER GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE AND TRAIN 'TIL YOU DIE!!!" A scuffle was heard on the other end before a new voice was heard.

"Mou, Hiruma-kun, don't talk to Sena-kun like that!" Sena breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Mamori's voice. "Sena, are you alright? It's been a long time since you went out. Are you lost? Oh, I never should have made you go to somewhere that far." Sena was thankful that Mamori wasn't there to see him.

"N-no, no, Mamori-neechan. I'm fine. There's just a large crowd here today, that's all." Sena grimanced. He hated lying to Mamori-neechan, but it was just too humilitating to tell her that he was lost. "It's kinda hard to maneuver through them, so that's why I'm taking so long."

"Well, okay." She sounded skeptical, but continued nonetheless. "Just don't strain yourself, okay, Sena? You're not very big, and you might get trampled." Sena's self esteem dropped another notch. Tsuna couldn't help but overhear that remark and chuckle knowingly to himself.

"Alright, alright, Mamori-neechan. I'm a man. I can take care of myself. And don't worry; I'll be back with those cream puffs before you know it." He added. Mamori sounded like she was about to reply, when the first, scary, voice came back.

"You'd better be back, or else Cerberos will get a new chew toy!" Hiruma threatened, "Eyeshield 21 needs to practice."

"Hiruma-kun! Use your own phone!" came Mamori's voice. "And what's Eyeshield-kun's training have to do with Sena?" Oh, if only she knew, thought Sena. "Now let me talk with Sena!" A metal CLANK was heard. "Wait. Hiruma, what are you doing with that flamethrower? No! Hiruma-kun! Don't burn–!" The line went dead. Meanwhile, Sena and his new acquaintances sweat-dropped.

"Eh heh heh, sorry about that." Sena apologized. "My teammates are, er, _enthusiastic_ like that."

"No worries," Tsuna reassured him, "my friends are the same." They both laughed, reminiscing on the antics of their friends. Suddenly, Sena remembered his mission.

"Oh! The map!" He went to retrieve it from the horn of Lambo's costume, but to his great dismay, found it torn off, most likely from its high-speed trip. "Oh, now I'll never find that cake shop!" Sena wailed. Upon seeing his distress, Tsuna stepped in to save him.

"Cake shop? You mean Namimori Cake and Pastry? It's right down that street. It's the one with the big yellow letters." Upon hearing those words, Sena cracked a wide smile in relief. He thanked Tsuna profusely. He was about to dash off when he turned and asked.

"By the way, may I ask your name?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. Or Tsuna." The other boy replied. "What about yours?"

"Kobayakawa Sena." Sena said.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Sena. And thank you for saving Lambo." He bowed.

"Thank you for giving me directions." Sena bowed also. "Good bye! I hope we see each other again!"

"Me too! Bye!" Both boys walked off to complete their respective tasks.

Unbeknownst to them, two men hidden in the shadows watched their receding figures

* * *

**Notes:**

Ha ha ha! THERE! See??? more than 60 words!......I think.....whatever.....IN YOUR FACE!.......NOW GIMME BACK MY LUNCHBOX!!!

The above is addressed to Rainless, the damn bastard, so other people please disregard the statement.......or if you want to be weird then regard the statement. Whatever. If you find any mistakes, like grammar and stuff, then could you please tell me? Thanks. Uh........so, yeah.......that's it. Later.

- Chindu Prince Of Darkness


	3. Chapter 3: Involvment

Yo. Chindu P.O.D. here. Hmm, I guess I lied on my profile. Whatever. Sorry and stuff this took so long. I have a _very_ short attention span. Hmm...what to write...oh! Yeah, as you can see, I changed the name of this story to "Mistaken Identity".....or something like that...(god I just typed it like, 10 seconds ago and I forgot it...-_-llllll)...that is because I discovered someone wrote a story in the Eyeshield/Hitman crossover section titled _very _similar to my original title. So, sorry to whoever you are for almost stealling your title...I guess great minds think alike...while, mine is great anyways...ahem...sorry. Uh, oh, I have a question to people who may or may not read this. You might think I'm an idiot afterwards but, hey, what do I care? Anyways....What the bloody hell is a "Story Alert"? I keep on gettin' e-mails about it. Is it something bad? Oh, and by the way, I'm new at this thing, and, I'm too goddamned lazy to figure it out for myself so, be a good chap and tell me in a review, okay? There's a good Boy/Girl/It. So, here you are, Chapter 3 in all its glory, or whatever the crap you call it. Just read it.

**Disclaimer:** Hmm, do I have to write this thing for every chapter? *sigh* (in monotone voice) I do not own Eyeshield 21 or Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I'm too lazy to even try. The End.

**Chapter 3: Involvment**

* * *

"See all the trouble you've made us go through?" Tsuna scolded Lambo, whom he was carrying. "You shouldn't take other people's belongings, no matter how much you want it." Lambo simply looked bored and picked his nose.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, No-Good-Tsuna. Lambo-san can do whatever Lambo-san wants! And Lambo-san wants you to run fast! Like the other you!" He jumped down from Tsuna's arms and made whooshing noises while zigzagging all over the sidewalk.

"You no-good cow!" Growled Gokudera. "You should thank the 10th for rescuing you! If it wasn't for the 10th, you'd be a cow pancake on the cement right now! So show him some respect!"

"C-calm down, Gokudera-kun! Lambo's just a kid." Tsuna said. "Besides, I didn't save him, it was that Sena guy." _Come to think of it,_ thought Tsuna, _that guy was _really _fast. I've never seen speed like that from someone without a Dying Will Flame. If we had a guy like that in our family, then- _Tsuna violently shook his head to clear him of such thoughts. _No, no, no! I mustn't think like that! I don't wanna be part of the Mafia!_

"Your development into a Mafia Head is coming along well," came a squeaky child's voice from above. Tsuna looked up and yelped in surprise. Reborn, his infant hitman home tutor, was decked out in a blue jumpsuit with cloud decorations. At first glance it looked as though he was floating in mid-air, but closer inspection brought to light the cloud-like balloon Reborn was attached to.

"Ggyyaaa!!" Yelled Tsuna, surprised to see his tutor. "R-Reborn! Why are you dressed so weirdly?!" Reborn smiled slightly.

"Why, to oversee the results of your Mafia Boss training, of course. And I have to say that it's progressing well. You're already thinking of possible Family candidates on your own."

_How does he do that?_ Wondered Tsuna, then focused on the issue at hand. "N-no, Reborn! How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to be in the Mafia!" He crossed his arms to make his point. "I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Stop acting so childish, No-Good-Tsuna." replied Reborn, "After all you've been through, you're still acting like this? It seems we need to intensify your training, then." The smile on his face now looked very scary to Tsuna. "And it seems the Family candidate you've chosen is indeed a very good one. This Kobayakawa Sena will be useful to us."

"Eeeeehh?!!" exclaimed Tsuna. "N-no way! I'm not gonna drag some innocent guy off the street and throw him in this crazy situation! No way!" He huffed irritably at Reborn.

"His speed may be useful to us." Stated Reborn, unwavering. Tsuna still shook his head.

"I don't even know him! We just met on the street today! How am I supposed to go up to a stranger and ask him to be part of a major crime syndicate's family? He'll think I'm nuts!"

"People already think you're nuts." Replied Reborn evenly. Tsuna just gritted his teeth in irritation. There was no curbing this guy! However, before he could unleash another rant upon Reborn, Gokudera stepped in with an interesting piece of information.

"Actually, Tenth, I think I've seen him from somewhere before." Tsuna and Reborn both turned to look at him. "Yeah, I have!"

"Really?" asked a surprised Tsuna. Gokudera wasn't the most sociable person. "Where?" Gokudera frowned, deep in thought.

"Erm, I can't remember." Tsuna face-faulted. Gokudera kneeled before him, banging his head on the ground. "Please forgive me for failing you, 10th! As your right-hand-man, I'll make it up to you by using every possible method to remember!!!"

"Uh, eh heh, that won't be necessary. I'm sure you'll remember in due time." Gokudera can be a bit extreme at times, not unlike a certain turf-headed boxing fanatic…

"No matter. This matter can be resolved later." Reborn's suit transformed back into Leon the Chameleon. He held the creature in his hand. "For now, you, Tsuna, need to focus on training your physical abilities for when you're not in Dying-Will Mode." Tsuna had a bad feeling about this…

BANG!

* * *

The Next Day…..

Two men were currently shadowing a short brown haired boy. They kept as close enough to their target so as not to lose sight of him, and far away enough to not draw suspicion. One of the men was tall and wore a clean pressed blue suit and pants, with a matching bow tie. His dark hair was combed back neatly, although a few rebellious strands escaped to frame his handsome face. His tanned skin marked him as a foreigner, as did his heavy accent. With this immaculate attire, he looked like a businessman, one that people would find in the cubicles of a company or in the crowd of corporate heads.

His partner, however, was a far cry of the company that people expected the other to be in. He wore a dark brown hoodie with half a skull imprinted on the hood, looking rather like a Halloween mask. He wore baggy blue jeans that were ripped and frayed in various places, and walked with a hunched posture with his hands in his pockets. Dirty blond bangs hid the dark blue eyes that glared out from the depths of the hood. He looked like the sort you would encounter in the dead of night in an obscure ally, mugging you.

But despite the differences in appearance, they were the best pair to carry out their mission; that is, to detain the current head of the Vongola Family and maintain him in a secure location until new orders came through. These two were professionals, the best of the best in covert operations like this. Nothing could deter them from a job, nothing-

"Rrrr, man, I'm hungry. Hey! Let's go to that pizza parlour, ne, _amico_?"

-except pizza.

"Lucio, how many times do I have to tell you, not when we're working!" Said the tall man. "We need to focus. This may or may not be our last job before our, goal." At that, Lucio quieted and settled into a more professional mode.

"So Luca, how are we going to carry out the mission this time?" Lucio asked in a hushed voice. Luca didn't answer. "Luca? Oi! And you told me to focus. You're the one who's daydreaming!"

"Stop making a scene!" hissed Luca. "And I'm thinking. How can we be sure that this kid is the Vongola Head?" Lucio glared at the other man for doubting him.

"What do you mean? Haven't you read his profile? The 10th boss of the Vongola Family is supposed to be fast. And not just 'track-star' fast, but I mean _really_ fast. He beat Xanxus with that speed. And didn't you see him in action yesterday? If he's like that without the Dying Will Flame, then imagine him _with_ it. Trust me, it's him."

Luca still seemed doubtful, but complied nonetheless. His partner was usually correct in matters like this. "Fine. Proceed with formation B. Continue for 100 yards then we call for pick up." Lucio nodded and the duo quickened their pace.

They swiftly approached their target, not bothering to apologise to the people they shoved along the way. But as they got close enough to grab the boy, the two parted, allowing him to pass between them. The two continued forward, walking casually again. After 100 yards, Luca pulled out a cell-phone and called for their transport. A sleek black car arrived minutes later and the two got in and drove away. However, missing from the streets was a certain brown-haired youth.

* * *

"Sena! Sena-kun!" called Mamori at the Kobayakawa residence. The game day arrived and she wished for everything to run as smoothly as possible. That included making sure the team secretary was present. "Sena!" she called again. "We don't want to be late! Come on, Sleep-head!" The door opened, but it was Mr. Kobayakawa.

"Oh, Mamori-chan," he said, "I thought it was you." Mamori bowed politely.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Kobayakawa-san. Is Sena ready yet?" Shiyuma Kobayakawa rubbed the back of his head.

"Actually," he started, "would you believe it, that boy woke up extra early and went ahead. He should be at the train station by now." Mamori was surprised.

"Really? Well, thank you for telling me that, Kobayakawa-san. I'll just go and find him then. Please wish us luck!" She bid him farewell and rushed to the station. Upon her arrival, Mamori was greeted by the other members of the Deimon Devilbats. Monta and Kurita greeted her enthusiastically as she approached them. She scanned the crowd, but saw no sign of Sena.

"Has Sena arrived yet?" Mamori asked the team. They all looked at each other.

"Hmm, we haven't seen him," answered Monta.

"I was the first one here, and I haven't seen Sena." Said Kurita. His face grew worried. "I hope nothing bad's happened."

"Oh, I'm sure he just forgot something," reassured Mamori, "you know Sena; if it's not one thing, it's another." She sighed as she remembered all the times he had to go and fetch things during games. Just then, Hiruma stepped out from the shadows, wielding his M16A2 Rifle. He pointed it at the others.

"Forget about the damn secretary for now," he said. "Just get on the train. If he doesn't get to the game, then I'll have Cerberus escort him." As if in response, Cerberus cracked a sinister grin, identical to the one on Hiruma. The Deimon team quickly piled onto the train and speed off to Namimori High.

* * *

The bright morning sun cast its rays over the sleepy district of Namimori. Birds were chirping their songs in the peaceful atmosphere. Unfortunately, peace does not last long within the vicinity of the Sawada residence.

CRASH!!!!!

BOOM!!!!!

THUD!!!!!

"AH!!! Lambo! I-Pin! Put that down!"

CRASH!!!!!!

"See? Now look what's happened!" Tsuna marched into the backyard with Lambo and I-Pin in hand. "You two play outside while I clean up the mess you made back there." He was about to go back inside when a "Good morning, 10th!" was heard from the gate. Gokudera bounded straight towards him, followed by Yamamoto who walked nonchalantly with a big grin on his face. "Morning, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto," greeted Tsuna, "What brings you here?"

"I was in the neighbourhood, so I though I'd stop by, 10th." Said Gokudera. _You live 5km away, _thought Tsuna. Gokudera continued. "But on the way, I met this Baseball-idiot." He made a face while pointing to Yamamoto. Yamamoto just laughed.

"My old man's having a slow day at the restaurant today, so I though I'd come over." He glanced at Lambo and I-Pin who were currently chasing each other all over the yard. "Looks like you could use some help with the kids."

"Whatever help the 10th needs will come from me, his right-hand man!" declared Gokudera. He then proceeded to chase the kids. The scene turned even more bizarre when Yamamoto joined in, thinking it was a new game. Tsuna just shook his head and sighed. _I have some really strange friends, _he thought, _but I'm also lucky to have them. They've stuck by me through the worst, and haven't lost their determination. This is quite a Family. _

"Already, signs of you becoming the new Boss are emerging. This is a good omen."

"Uwaa!!~~" Tsuna fell back in shock. Reborn was hanging upside-down from the clothesline in a ninja outfit. He gave a small smirk. "R-Reborn!" Tsuna got up and dusted himself off. "Stop reading my mind like that! And I've told you before; I refuse to become involved with a major crime syndicate." Reborn shook his head.

"You're involved whether you like it or not. It's time for you to-" He suddenly stopped in his speech as he jumped down and knocked Tsuna to the ground. Tsuna rubbed the back of his head painfully as he sat up and glared at Reborn.

"Hey! What was that for-"

"Be quiet and look, No-Good-Tsuna." Said Reborn, and pointed to a spot on the wall behind Tsuna. There, right in the space where his head had previously occupied, was an arrow, firmly lodged in the wood. Tsuna gulped. _That was a close one_ he thought. _Thank goodness Reborn knocked me down, or else…_ He didn't want to think about it. As Gokudera and Yamamoto rushed over to see what had happened, Reborn leapt up and pulled the arrow out. There was an envelope attached to it. Reborn handed the arrow to Tsuna as he opened and read the letter. Upon closer inspection, Tsuna discovered that the arrow was adorned with a spiralling dragon engraved into the shaft. It looked like a European dragon, lizard-like with wings. Its body was twisted around the shaft, while its maw was open with little tongues of flame dancing out from it. It seemed quite the effort to go through for an arrow. He looked to Reborn for an answer, but saw a frown form on his tutor's face.

"Reborn, what is it?" asked Tsuna. Reborn said nothing, but handed the letter to him. As Tsuna read it, he was ready to laugh.

_To: The Family of the 10__th__ Vongola Head_

_This letter is to inform you that we currently have your Boss in our custody. Should you want him returned unharmed, have your Guardians of Storm, Thunder, Rain, Mist, Sun, and Cloud gather at the requested exchange point with their respective Rings. Let it be clear that should any authorities be notified, the 10__th__ Head will immediately suffer the consequences. You have 72 hours to comply. Failure to do so will result in the termination of the 10__th__ Vongola Head. The attached photograph is evidence that this is not a hoax. _

"Reborn, what is this?" Tsuna laughed. "What are they talking about? I'm right here, so they couldn't possibly-" He was cut off when Reborn handed him the picture. Tsuna looked at the photograph. In it was a boy, almost exactly like him, except for the fact that the hair was a darker shade of brown. His head was bowed, signalling that he was unconscious. He was bound to a chair, still wearing his teal school uniform. Fear gripped him as Tsuna whispered out the name of the boy he met just the other day.

"S-Sena?"

* * *

**Notes:**

Uh, is this what you'd call a cliffhanger? And check out my ransom note. Pretty professional, if I do say so myself.......I didn't say that. Chapter 4 is uh, pretty messed up right now. I think I wrote it in the middle.........oh, and you know that part with the dude in the skull hoodie? Yeah, took me a week to finish describing it. Yup. That's how Awesome I am. You can say so in your review. You ARE gonna review, right?.....o_O??? Whatever. I'm out.

-Chindu Prince Of Darkness


	4. Chapter 4: Eyeshield 27

Ciaossu!......Ehhh, doesn't when I say it......well, here's a new chapter. This chapter was made possible by Enspirit, who was the editor and gave out great ideas to further the plot along. So I wanna, er, um,....damn, what's that word again?.......oh, I wanna _thank_ Enspirit for that. Yeah. Thanks. And to people who review, cuz that means that people are actually reading this thing. Oh, and I wanna just say, Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series is the freakin'est funniest thing I have ever seen.....for now.........so, yeah. That's all I have to say.......thanks again, Enspirit.

**Disclaimer:** Stupid, goddamned, no-good-son-of-a-,......oh, did I say that out loud? Oops. I don't own Eyeshield 21 or Hitman Reborn because...because....aw, hell, why should I give _you_ a reason? Stupid, goddamned, no-good-son-of-a-.......*mumble, mumble*.

**Chapter 4: Eyeshield 27**

* * *

"S-Sena?"

Tsuna gaped in disbelief as he held the photo. "Wha-, why is he in this picture? Why is he tied up?" Reborn turned to him, a serious expression on his infant face.

"Tsuna, are you absolutely sure this is the same Sena Kobayakawa you met yesterday?" asked Reborn.

Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. But why has he been kidnapped? I barely know him!"

Reborn took a moment to think. Then came to a conclusion. "It is highly possible that the kidnappers mistook Sena for you. They were probably present the time Sena displayed his speed and believed he was the head of the Vongola. But it seems that their information is a bit lax, if all they know is that you are a really fast boy with brown hair."

Tsuna took all this in stride. Who would want to kidnap him and yet use a poorly informed team? Well, as for who, it was quite obvious that as a Mafia Boss, he would have a lot of enemies, but the only ones that he knew of were Mukuro Rokudo and the Varia. Mukuro was currently imprisoned in a high security Mafia prison somewhere, and they just defeated the Varia's boss, Xanxus, so both were free from suspicion. So who could have done it? Then a question came up.

"Why would they think that I'm fast?" Asked Tsuna.

Reborn clasped his tiny hands behind his back. "They could have had spies stationed here in Namimori during the Ring Battles. They probably saw you in your Hyper Dying Will Mode. The battles themselves were pretty obvious if one was talented enough to see through the illusions made by the Cervello illusionists. That would have indicated that they possess proficient manpower and have been planning this for some time; this case of mistaken identity could just be the result of a mishap of an unprofessional underling. A grand plan destroyed by the greatest link – the irony." Reborn sighed. "Once they discover their mistake, however, I have no doubt that they will attempt to kidnap you again, and this time with more skilled men."

Gokudera jumped up. "Not if I have anything to say about it! Don't you worry, Tenth! I won't let these scumbags lay a finger on you!" He enforced his pledge by drawing out sticks of dynamite and brandished them like a shield.

Yamamoto also joined in. "I'm with you. Anybody who wants to kidnap Tsuna is gonna have to go through me." He twirled his bat that he happened to be carrying all this time. Tsuna was moved by their loyalty and determination. But a grim thought crossed his mind.

"Reborn," he asked slowly, "what will happen to Sena once they discover he's not me?"

Reborn turned his back to him, his squeaky infant voice sounding grave. "Once they discover their mistake, they will most likely dispose of him, for he will be of no use to them any more and to get rid of any witnesses."

Tsuna's breath caught in his throat. "Well then we gotta save him! We can't let him get wasted because of our problems! We're going right now- !"

"Be patient, No-Good-Tsuna," said Reborn. "We must first locate Sena's family and friends and assure them that everything is fine. We have to prevent them from issuing police involvement or else that would put him in danger. But as of now I have no clue where he lives." Tsuna bowed his head in defeat. Another person was going to suffer for his family's problems now. Oh, what are they going to do?

"Uh, I think I might know where this Sena person lives." To everyone's surprise, Yamamoto spoke up.

"Really? Where?" asked Tsuna.

Yamamoto scratched the back of his head. "Well, more like where he goes to school, actually. It's Deimon Private Senior High School."

"How do you know this, Yamamoto?" asked Reborn.

"From their football team." he replied. "The Deimon Devil Bats. Me and Gokudera saw one of their games on television one day, and this kid was their secretary, although he disappeared right as the game started. But I recognize him in the photo." He looked to Gokudera for conformation.

"Yeah, I think I remember now. Baseball Idiot made me watch baseball on TV with him. He was channel surfing after the game ended and we ended up watching some high school football. I saw that guy sitting on the bench right before the game. I guess I didn't recognize him yesterday. Hey!" He suddenly got an idea. "Didn't the yelling guy on the phone say that they have a game at Namimori High today? We could go now and pay a visit to his team!"

Reborn smiled approvingly. "Good idea, Gokudera. We'll leave immediately." Gokudera beamed at the compliment.

Yamamoto hefted his bat over his shoulder. "I hear they also have a great baseball team over there. I'll go check it out while I'm there."

Tsuna quickly ran inside to grab his X-Gloves, just in case, then said, "Let's go."

* * *

**Namimori High School, American Football Locker Room**

"Where the hell is that damn Secretary?!!" roared a very angry Hiruma.

The Deimon Devilbats were currently gathered in the locker room of Namimori High, with their match just around the corner. Even though it was just an exhibition match, Hiruma demanded that they play beyond their best and "kill 'em!". Unfortunately for them, their Ace, Eyeshield 21, was missing, along with their secretary (But we know there's not much of a difference, right?). This dilemma, coupled with the fact that their match was starting in 30 minutes, equated to a very angry and very, very dangerous Hiruma Yoichi. "I'm gonna make him run so many errands that his toes will bleed!"

"Hiruma-kun, stop overreacting!" said an exasperated Mamori, "It's okay if Sena misses one game, right? Besides, Eyeshield isn't here either. Come to think of it, both Sena and Eyeshield are missing. Could it be…?"

Everyone braced themselves for the unavoidable unveiling. The secret was out!

"…that they both got lost?" The whole room sweat-dropped -_-lllll.

Hiruma cocked his rifle. "There's no excuse for skipping a game! The match starts in half an hour, and if he doesn't get here by then, I'm gonna–"

"A-ano, pardon me?" came a timid knock from the closed door. Mamori went to answer it. Brown hair below eyelevel was all she registered before she started to choke the life out of the person.

"Sena! Thank goodness you made it!" Insert choking reply.

"Hey! Let go of the Tenth this instant!"

Surprised, Mamori released her hostage, who collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. Now that she got a better look, she realized that this person wasn't Sena. For one, there was an intricately designed ring dangling from his neck. Second, a tough-looking silver-haired boy was glaring at her while gingerly helping him up. Mamori blinked. Then-

"Oh my! I'm so sorry!" Mamori stooped to help to boy up, but was blocked by the silver-haired one.

"Get away from the Tenth, you banshee! Your first assassination attempt might have failed, but no way in hell am I gonna let you try again!" He whipped out some sticks of dynamite. "Tenth! Allow me to dispose of this assassin!"

Before Tsuna could rebuke, Gokudera launched the dynamites right at Mamori. They were just a few inches from her when, "…They disappeared!" Gokudera was flabbergasted. Where was the boom? He looked around the room and saw a… was that a monkey? holding his dynamites.

The "Monkey" tossed a stick into the air, caught it, then pointed a gloved finger towards him. "How dare you call Mamori-san those names and then throw things at her!" Huh, a talking monkey. Who knew? "Apologize for your behavior this instant!"

"She attacked the Tenth! That is inexcusable!" fumed Gokudera. "The Tenth is a very important person and as his right-hand man, it is my duty to punish all who would oppose, and/or, assassinate him!"

"Mamori-san is also a very important person! She is our manager! And as a member of this team it is my duty to punish you for punishing her!"

"Oh yeah?! Wanna go?!"

"You asked for it!" They both charged and attempted to pummel the heck out of each other.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Everyone covered their ears and ducked. Hiruma stepped amongst them, rifle in hand.

"Damn Monkey and damn Firecracker, shut up! You," he pointed at Tsuna, "explain."

"Uh-uh-duh…" stammered Tsuna. He was so intimidated by the spiky haired demon that he somehow managed to lose his speech capabilities.

Yamamoto, with Reborn perched on his shoulder, stepped in. "We received some information about your missing team member, so we came over to tell you." He held up the photo and the letter.

Hiruma snatched the letter, made a face, then tossed the photo to Mamori. She paled as she held the photograph in her shaking hands. "O-oh my god! Sena! Is this Sena? Why is he tied up?! Where is he?! What's going on?!" The Vongola members averted their eyes.

Tsuna looked at her, ashamed. "I-It's my fault. I'm the reason he's kidnapped. I was the one they wanted, but they mistook Sena for me." He bowed his head. "Please, forgive me. I'll do everything I can to get him back." Mamori looked at him, bewildered still.

"But, why would anybody want to kidnap you?" asked Kurita.

Taki pitched in his two bits. "Perhaps he is the son of a wealthy business owner, and the Mafia wants him for the ransom money." He said this while twirling. Tsuna sweat dropped.

"Well, I guess it's kinda like that, sure."

"Why did they kidnap Sena in the first place?" Asked Suzuna, batwings drooped in worry.

"I bumped into him yesterday by accident, and the kidnappers thought he was their target, when instead I was the one they were looking for. They were probably following me when I met Sena." He turned to Mamori. "Please, Mamori-san, I'll do anything I can to make up for this. My friends and I will get him back. But I need you all to promise that you won't bring the police into this. Doing so will compromise Sena's safety. The kidnappers specifically stated that no police involvement will be tolerated. If you call the police then they will hurt him. I am deeply sorry for involving you in all this. I will bring him back to you, I swear it." Tsuna bowed.

Mamori said nothing for a while, contemplating on what just transpired. She was horrified that something like this would happen to Sena. And worst of all, she was partially responsible. If only she hadn't sent him all that way just to get creampuffs. If only she kept him close by, where she could protect him. Why didn't she do that? Why?! Mamori closed her eyes. It was probably due to the strength Sena had begun to show these days. Something about him had changed, and he was no longer the meek little errand boy she used to protect. Mamori looked at the bowing boy in front of her. He reminded her of Sena, with the same stature and habit of profusely apologizing to people. But he also held that same air of confidence that Sena had. When he said he would bring him back, she believed him. Mamori smiled.

"Thank you," she said to Tsuna. "It looks like Sena will always have others looking out for him. That child seems to always need to be saved." She reminisced.

Hiruma 'tsked', then diverted the topic back to the issue at hand.

"Well, since we now know why our secretary is missing, we're faced with a dilemma. That brat is the only one who knows how to contact Eyeshield 21, so we seem to be down one ace." He glared at Tsuna, who hid behind Mamori, who instinctively shielded him. "What are you gonna do about that? This IS all your fault, isn't it?"

"Hey, don't you pin the blame on the Tenth like that!" Gokudera seethed. "It's not our fault if those idiots mistook your secretary for the Tenth!"

"No, it IS my fault, Gokudera," Tsuna said. "They were after me. This is our problem, and Sena got dragged into it. Please, as I said, I'll do what I can to return him to your team."

Hiruma leaned on his rifle. "That still doesn't solve our problem. The match starts in twenty minutes and our star player is absent. Oh, and I forgot to mention; I bet with the other team that if we lose this game, we'll withdraw from the Fall Tournament."

This was met with cries of disbelief and wails of sorrow from the Deimon team. Hiruma unleashed a hail of bullets to shut them up. "Shut up, gaki! Moaning about it isn't gonna help. I've just provided you the incentive to beat them no matter what! Eyeshield's not the only way we can score, so suck it up and beat the hell outta them!" THIS was met by cries of bloodlust and enthusiasm, but mostly bloodlust. The Vongola family merely stood by and watched the extreme change in attitude one man was able to bring about.

Just then, Reborn piped up, "Actually, I think we can provide some help for your match." Everyone turned to him, the Deimon team surprised to hear a baby talk like that.

Hiruma grew interested. "I'm listening." he said.

Reborn continued his proposition. "We can participate in your game. Our group is rather skilled and capable in many situations. In fact, I believe that these three have participated in football games in their physical education program. I'm sure they can be of some use to you, Black Book Demon." Everyone was startled - the Devilbats at the level of words the baby knew, and the Vongolas for being volunteered. Hiruma's eyes narrowed at the title he was casually given.

"How do you know that name?" He asked suspiciously and threateningly, mostly threateningly.

Reborn smiled. "Why, that was the name you called yourself back during the Yakuza Interrogations."

Hiruma processed the black suit, hat, and chameleon in his mind, then cracked a wide, albeit sinister grin. "Well what do ya know; the damn Hitman! It's been a while since I've seen your stupid hat. Although," He glanced at Reborn's small stature. "you seem to be shorter than last I saw you."

"Let's just say some things happened over the last two years." Reborn said cryptically.

"Reborn," asked a hesitant Tsuna, "do you know him?"

"I do. I once did a job with Hiruma here in Japan that involved retrieving information from the Yakuza. Hiruma, with his impressive skills at interrogation and blackmail, helped me on more than one occasion. And his vast network of slaves provided much needed support. You had just graduated from junior high back then, didn't you?"

Hiruma cackled. "I needed some money to jumpstart the Football program at Deimon, and it seemed to be the most interesting way to earn money. And it increased my slave numbers. Who do ya think is running the Yakuza now?" He gave a sinister grin, and Reborn joined him. Everyone backed away from the two malicious entities that were now emanating an immense evil aura.

"So what have you and your damn lizard gotten into now, damn Hitman?" Tsuna squeaked at how Hiruma addressed Reborn, but Reborn just smiled, like he was used to the nickname.

"As previously stated, somebody is targeting the next Head of the Vongola Family, but they mistakenly took one of your team members. We're here to rectify that, and with your participation, I'm sure this matter can be resolved indefinitely." Reborn paused for Hiruma's response. Hiruma said nothing, but looked over to Tsuna, who began trembling again.

"So you mean to tell me that this chibi is the next Head?" Hiruma stated in disbelief.

"Oi! Don't refer to the Tenth with such degrading names! Show some respect!" shouted Gokudera. He was ignored.

"Yes," replied Reborn, "but don't let appearances fool you. This boy is quite capable and has shown tremendous improvement in a short amount of time." Tsuna felt a bit proud to be complemented by Reborn, who usually withheld his comments. He must be showing off. "But No-Good-Tsuna still has some major areas to improve on if he wants to become the Boss." Well, so much for his pride.

Hiruma cackled. "Seems like we both have something in common. My team's chibi is one of the fastest guys out there. You haven't seen running until you've seen him in action." Tsuna was puzzled. Was he talking about Sena? He was really fast, but how could the secretary participate in games? "But seeing as how he isn't here, we'll need someone to fill in for him." Hiruma glared at Tsuna. "So what can you do?"

Tsuna 'eep'ed and hid behind Mamori again. Reborn sighed and whacked him on the head with Leon who transformed into a gun. "Why don't we go to a more spacious place and I'll show you." Hiruma shrugged and followed Reborn out the room, with the rest trailing after them.

Along the way, the members of the Deimon Team and Vongola Family got to know a little bit more about each other.

"Hey, er, Yamamoto, was it?" said Monta. "I see you're carrying a baseball bat. You play baseball?"

Yamamoto couldn't help but grin at the mention of his lifelong passion. "You betcha! Baseball is my life. I plan to be a professional baseball player one day. Or a swordsman." He added as an afterthought.

"Why a swordsman?" asked Suzuna.

"Well, 'cuz of this." He whipped out his bat and swung it in front of him with a tremendous force. Suzuna and Monta yelped as it suddenly transformed into a katana, which Yamamoto held expertly with a serious expression on his face. "I promised my friend that I'd help him no matter what, and I'd give up my life's dream just to honor it." His usual grin appeared again on his face. "So what about you, Monta? You sound like a baseball fan."

Monta shook himself from his initial shock and replied with an enthusiasm to rival that of Yamamoto's. "I plan to become a catching hero someday, just like Honjō Masaru of the Shuei Bears. I was inspired by his superb catching skills, so I joined my school's baseball team. Although," He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "the only thing I was good at was catching, and in baseball, you need to be good at everything. Sena introduced me to American Football, and I found out that I just needed to be good at one thing to play it." He clenched a fist in front of him. "That's why I'm gonna be a catching hero in football. Me and Sena are rivals on the field."

"I thought Sena was the secretary."

Monta almost tripped and berated himself for accidentally spilling the secret. "Oh, er, yeah, as in he's gonna be the best secretary in football, yeah!" He hastily said. Yamamoto bought the lie and nodded.

"So who's this 'Eyeshield' guy your commander's been yelling about?" Asked Gokudera, joining the conversation.

"He's our ace," explained Kurita, "and an amazing one at that. Eyeshield 21 is our running back and scores the majority of our points."

"Yeah, and when you see him run, it's like nothing you've ever seen." Togano said, looking up from his manga. "It's like watching a bullet being fired."

"Or watching a rocket with legs speeding off," said Jumonji.

"Or like the Roadrunner being chased by the Coyote." added Kuroki. Jumonji and Togano turned towards him.

"What? Eyeshield 21 doesn't run like that!"

"What? Of course he does! He looks _exactly_ like the Roadrunner when he's running, with the dust clouds and everything!"

"You must be blind or something. He _obviously_ looks like a bullet, 'cuz you can't even see him!"

"You're both idiots! He's a rocket with legs!"

"A bullet!"

"A rocket!"

"A roadrunner!"

"Bullet!"

"Rocket!"

"Roadrunner!"

"Um, I think I get the picture," said Gokudera as the Three Ha-Ha Brothers began to have a mini-rumble over what Eyeshield 21 looks like.

"Don't get near them; their stupidity is contagious." Said Hiruma as he walked past. (A/N: Got this from an episode that I forgot. Was referring to that kicker dude from Bando who always combs his hair.) Everyone else followed suit.

* * *

The group reached the school parking lot and Reborn motioned for them to stop.

"This place will do." He stated. He loaded a single bullet into his gun. "Tsuna, step over here." Tsuna obeyed and at the same time took out a pair of mittens with the number 27 imprinted on them.

"Hey, what are you gonna do with that gun?" asked Mamori. She screamed when Reborn shot it straight at Tsuna, who did nothing to move out of the way. "What do you think you're doing?! Are you crazy?"

"Please wait," said Reborn calmly. Everyone watched in amazement when Tsuna didn't fall over dead, but instead donned an orange flame upon his forehead. His mittens transformed into black and silver gloves, with a large "X" that took the place of the numbers. His eyes were half-lidded, calculating and burned with the same color and intensity of his dying will flame.

"Tsuna, please demonstrate the skills you have learned up until now." said Reborn.

"Hai."

Tsuna ignited his X-Gloves, causing a gasp from the Deimon Team. He poured more power into them, then shot up into the sky like a rocket. Hovering in mid-air, he quickly went into a dive and rushed head first towards the cement. This brought about some screams which were silenced when he suddenly pulled up and traveled parallel to the ground. Tsuna veered left and right, weaving through the throngs of vehicles parked there. He rocketed towards the sky again, then gently hovered down back to his starting position. He extinguished the flames on his gloves and the Dying Will Flame went out. Reborn turned to Hiruma.

"So, will he be useful to you?" He asked. Hiruma said nothing, contemplating on what he had just seen. The other members of the Devil Bats weren't so hesitant to voice their thoughts.

"You can fly?!"

"That was amazing! How are you able to do that?!"

"You can fly?!"

"What was that orange flame on your forehead and your hands? Didn't they burn you?"

"You can fly?!"

"Can you show me how to do that?"

"YOU CAN FLY?!!"

Tsuna rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly, unused to all the attention. Gokudera, however, was milking it for all its worth.

"That's right! The Tenth is the most awesomest guy ever! Not only can he fly, but he can take down powerful foes as well! If fact, just a couple of days ago, he fought against this ugly (but powerful) idiot who dared to undermine his authority. But the Tenth showed him! He froze him in a block of ice and claimed his superiority over that loser. So get down on your knees and grovel before his might–!" Tsuna sweat-dropped and hastily tried to shut him up before the boasting got out of hand. Hiruma chose this time to proclaim his decision.

"That was nice and flashy alright, but how good are you at maintaining that form?" he demanded. (A/N: That's right. Hiruma Yoichi doesn't 'ask' like a wimpy loser; he DEMANDS. WUT!...........sorry. Continue.) Tsuna cowered under his glare.

"Er, um, uh, f-for pretty long, I guess, l-like about for more than three hours, minimum?" He stuttered.

Hiruma was silent at first, something that scared Tsuna. Then, a wicked grin appeared on his demonic face (which terrified Tsuna even more). "Then it's settled!" He raised a clawed finger and pointed to Tsuna. "You shall now be known as, 'Eyeshield 27', YA-HA!!!"

* * *

**Notes:**

So, that's that. Now why don't you voice your thoughts on this charming little piece by clicking on the button right below, 'cuz you know how much I just _love_ hearing what random stangers think........no, not that one, you returd, THAT one, with the little green words. And after doing that, go read me other story and review THAT one. And one more thing; does anyone have a suggestion for Hiruma's name? 'Cuz that 'Daylight Demon' one is just, well, retarded. I'm pretty sure he can be called something else other than that. Well, later. I'm gonna go live my life now. (returd is not a typo.)

-Chindu Prince Of Darkness


	5. Chapter 5: A Good Start

Yo. (When the hell did I start using 'Yo'?) Chindu's back. I'm not sorry or anything that it took so long. You should be honored to be in the presence of a piece of work from me, Chindu, Prince of Darkness, Future Overlord of the Eath and pwner of n00bs...okay, maybe not that last part. I am so ashamed of myself right now. After a year of not playing video games, I finally got my precious out and when I played Halo 2 on _Normal_...I died 17 times. Yeah. And when playing multiplayer Slayer with my eight year old brother, he killed me 15 times. Yeah. I'm not feelin' too hot right now.........*sob* Oh God! What's wrong with me?! *cries*..............................ahem. So, continuing. Please enjoy this chapter presented to you, the reader, at the expense of me not going to the grand opening of the soon-to-be world's largest mall, with singers and gifts and balloons. Yeah.............oh, and one more thing, Master Chief drinks Nuclear Powered Coffee.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Eyeshield 21, I'd extend it past the final Oujou game and all the way to the American game. 'Course, I've never even watched those last ten episodes or the latest episodes of Hitman. So, I don't own, either of them. Apparently.

**Chapter 5: A Good Start...**

* * *

"You shall now be known as, 'Eyeshield 27'! YA-HA!!!"

_Football uniforms are complicated_, was the thought that ran through Tsuna's mind as he struggled to put on the copious amounts of padding and protection. But then again, he considered that he should be grateful for all this protection, for he had a bad feeling he would be in need of it soon. When Hiruma announced that Tsuna was to become Eyeshield 27, the first thought that ran through his mind was what the heck was an Eyeshield?

Sports were never his forte at school, let alone football. Sure, Reborn said he'd _played_ it during gym, but he never mentioned how _good_ he was at it.

He sucked.

In his first match Tsuna not only managed to get knocked over more then a dozen times, but when he finally got the ball, he, in his excitement, ran the wrong way and scored on his own team. Needless to say, Tsuna was benched for the entirety of the game. He hoped he would get the bench early, because it sure hurt getting tackled. Pain wasn't something he was unused to; having Reborn as a tutor meant that it was served as a side-dish every morning, noon, and night. But avoiding it whenever possible would be the better choice. He wasn't one of those macho guys who went looking for a fight. He would fight when he needed too, like defending his friends and Kyoko-chan, but he loathed violence and did his best to avert from it.

With a sigh, Tsuna pulled the red jersey over his head and straightened it, the number '27' emblazoned proudly on the front, back and shoulders. He was surprised that Hiruma somehow unearthed a uniform with that number on it. Then again, Hiruma's methods were eerily like Reborn's, so that was expected. He stood up and walked over to the chair that held the Devil Bats helmet. Picking it up, Tsuna looked over the graphics etched upon it. The helmet's main color was black, with two red wings outlined with white flanking the sides and a white facemask fixed on the front. He donned the helmet, walked out the door…

"Oomph!"

…and walked into something solid. Lifting his head, Tsuna almost wished he hadn't, because Hiruma's demonic glare was smiting him where he stood.

"H-Hiruma-san! I'm so sorry!" a frightened Tsuna stuttered. "Do you need something? Please don't kill me." Hiruma merely raised an eyebrow.

"Here." He tossed something at Tsuna who caught it and examined it. It was made of transparent orange plastic, curved and molded to fit his helmet.

"Ano, thank you, Hiruma-san, but what is it?" he asked.

"It's an Eyeshield. Snap it onto your helmet. It'll hide your identity along with your Dying Will Flame. And it comes with the name." He grinned evilly, pointy teeth showing, then walked off.

Tsuna looked at the eyeshield in confusion. Well, now he knew what the 'Eyeshield' in Eyeshield 21 meant, but does that mean Eyeshield wore one too? Why would the ace of a football team want to hide his identity? Wouldn't he like the popularity? Tsuna had often dreamed about being the star of a sports team at school. That would mean he was actually good at something for once, and impressing Kyoko-chan was an added bonus. But every team he tried out for resulted in a bust. He'd either fumble a catch or move too slowly to intercept the ball.

His chance came when the volleyball team needed more players, but their team kept losing because of his inability to play well and he ended up being the janitor after practices. His first time in the spotlight was due to the Dying Will Bullet, and even that was short lived. He wasn't athletic, like Yamamoto, so why was he doing this? Why didn't that Eyeshield fellow show up and take his place? Why was he voluntarily putting himself in this situation?

Tsuna remembered the note and the photo. That's why. All that Sena kid did was save Lambo and talk to him, and this was the result. His relation with the Mafia had gotten an innocent bystander involved. But Tsuna promised Mamori-san that he would make up for it and get him back. And this is how he was going to start.

Finding his resolution, Tsuna steeled himself and snapped the eyeshield unto the helmet. His world changed to hues of orange as he looked around. He walked out of the changing room and proceeded to meet up with the other team members.

* * *

"Red looks good on you, 10th!" said Gokudera, giving the thumbs-up sign. The Devil Bats team was huddled on the sidelines of the dusty field. Gokudera and Yamamoto also donned the red uniforms, having proved their worth to Hiruma earlier. Gokudera's skills in accurately throwing dynamites and Yamamoto's destructive baseball pitching would come in handy during the game. Tsuna looked out onto the field where the other team was currently warming up. All their players were fairly large, some dwarfing him by at least two feet. And all of them had a rather savage look on their faces that made Tsuna's knees buckle.

There were plenty of spectators getting settled on the bleachers, and two announcers in the commentator's box. One was kinda chubby, with a gigantic afro perched on top of his head and a notebook in his hand. The other seemed overly enthusiastic with propeller-like hairdo and a microphone. There was also a television crew setting up, preparing to broadcast the entire game across the city.

"I thought this was only a practice match," said Tsuna, voicing his nervousness, "Why are there cameras and announcers?"

Kurita, the helpful one, was eager to provide the answer. "Deimon is getting to be a pretty big deal, so people have started to take an interest in us. Even though it's a practice game, the other teams will be no doubt watching, so we've got to play our best. And as for the announcers, well, they're here for every game." Tsuna nodded, absorbing the information. In short, it meant that if he screwed up here, it'll be in front of hundreds of people. Sure, he's been humiliated in public before, but never in such at such a large scale. Dread tumbled around in the pit of his stomach and his resolve slowly slipped away. Meanwhile, Hiruma was explaining their game plan.

"Namimori isn't known for their expertise in football, so this game should go fairly smoothly. Their line's filled with large guys, so you damn linesmen better do your job, or I'll have your head. With damn swordsman and damn firecracker's throwing ability, we'll do better in passing, so damn monkey, I expect you to make a touchdown with every single throw. As for the run, damn shadow's gonna take that role and make the best of it, but most of out scoring will be from passing and catching. But if they so much as score one point, you'll go out there and obliterate them all. Got that, damn Pipsqueak?" Hiruma snarled at Tsuna, who gave a frightened squeak. "Good. We're playing on dirt, so when you're flying, simulate running with your legs to kick up the dust and hide your flames. We don't want anyone finding out about your power, now do we? Your speed's not on par with Eyeshield's, but you've got power, so use that to plow down your opponents. Reborn says you'll know what to do once you're up, so I won't waste breath talking. Everyone else, do what you're good at and put a hundred and twenty percent effort into it. Got that? We're not here to beat 'em, we're here to,-"

"KILL 'EM! YA-HA!!!" Roared the team, and the match started.

As the other players took their places on the field, Tsuna headed over to the bench where Mamori, Yukimitsu, and Suzuna stood. From where he sat, he could hear the commentators' voice broadcasted across the field.

"Hello, and welcome to another exciting American football match! I, Machine Gun Sanada, here with Bomberhead Kumabukuro will be providing play-by-play commentaries for today's exciting game, the Deimon Devil Bat vs. the Namimori Canaries! Now let's look at the lineup for the match. Playing for the Devil Bats, we have their demonic quarterback, Hiruma Yoichi! Number 80, wider receiver, Raimon Taro! The undaunted devil linesmen, the unmovable Kurita Ryokan! With him is the small but powerful Komusubi Daikichi, and the Ha-Ha Brothers Jumonji Kazuki, Kuroki Koji, and Togano Shozo! (We're not brothers!) Playing tight end is the flexible (but stupid) Taki Natsuhiko! And Deimon seems to have acquired new players! Numbers 9, 18, and 27! Will we see their hidden talents in this game? And last but not least, all-star running back for the Deimon Devil Bats, Eyeshield-! Huh? What's this? Eyeshield 21 is not present in the game! No, the presence-less Ishimaru Tetsuo is in his stead!"

At this, the audience immediately quieted in shock and turned their attention towards the field. Confirming that Eyeshield was not there, muttered questions buzzed throughout the stands.

"What?! Eyeshield's not there? Where is he?"

"What's Deimon thinking, not putting in their ace?"

"He's the reason I came."

"They haven't got a hope without him."

"Hey, look at that player, Number 27."

"He's wearing an eyeshield."

"Did Eyeshield change his number?"

"Must be some poser, trying to get some glory."

"Eyeshield 27, huh? Kinda catchy."

"What's he doing on the benches?"

"Must be no good."

"Where's Eyeshield 21?"

Tsuna could hear the comments of the spectators, and wondered again about the mysterious ace. All these people came just to see him; he must be a celebrity of some sort. And now all they got was No-Good Tsuna, a poseur of the Eyeshield name. He bowed his head in ignominy and focused on the game, trying his best to drown out the quiet carp.

* * *

"Deimon wins the coin toss, so they start the first half. Players are getting into their positions, and the whistle signals the start! Kurita at center snaps the ball to Hiruma. It'll most likely be a pass considering that Eyeshield 21 is not present for the run. Hiruma gearing up for a pass and- OOH!! Tackled by linebacker Michito Koga of the Canaries! But where's the ball? It seems Hiruma has already passed it to Raimon Taro! An impressive display of quick passing there! Deimon gets their first down secured. Let's see if they can get a few more yards…"

The game progressed rapidly, with the Devil Bats inching closer and closer to the end zone with each play.

"…Deimon's last play, 30 meters from a touchdown. There goes the snap, Hiruma receives, and passes it to Deimon's new addition, Number 9. But things are getting a little sticky as he is surrounded by Namimori players. No room to run or throw, what will he do? Looks like Deimon's- I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! What a superb pass! Number 9 weaves the ball through the crowd and right towards Number 18, who's heading straight for the end zone! He's gaining more distance, leaving the opposition in the dust. And a touchdown for Deimon!"

Tsuna cheered for Yamamoto along with everyone else. It made sense that he would be so good at any sport; he kept his body in top physical condition for his baseball dream. And Gokudera's accurate passing ability came from all those hours working with Dr. Shamal. Deimon's other players showed their appreciation too, clapping them on the back and (in Hiruma's case,) kicking them in the butt. Tsuna saw that his two friends were having fun, though Gokudera was trying to hide it, and it lifted his heart seeing them happy. After the stress and punishment they received from the Ring Battles, it was time they did something that raised their spirits, if even a little.

"6-0, Deimon's lead, failing the try-for-point kick. That guy's gonna need an ice pack. Back to the line of scrimmage, Hiruma receives the snap– AND IS TACKLED BY TANAKA HOSHINI! Did he manage to pass it in time? No? Wait, where is the ball? Nobody seems to know but Hiruma is cackling like a madman down there. There goes the whistle for the touchdown, but who scored? DEIMON DID! Ishimaru slipped past Namimori's defenses using his presence-less skills, and scored six points for Deimon! A 12-point lead for Deimon! Namimori's got its work cut out for them if they hope to win…"

As the game wore on, Deimon chiseled at Namimori's defenses and overwhelmed them with their own. It seemed an easy win for Deimon. By halftime, the score stood at 18-0. Namimori was getting agitated at the ever increasing humiliation they were receiving.

"Goddamn it!" said Tanaka as he viciously kicked the bench, "We're getting slaughtered out there! What the hell is going on? When did Deimon get so good?" Never before has he ever been so humiliated. That damn Hiruma Yoichi was getting on his nerves, strolling in before the game and making the bet that if they lost, Deimon would drop out of the Fall Tournament. In return, Namimori would receive all the funding for their club. The though of losing to them hadn't even crossed his mind until now. Losing would mean that the entire team would become Hiruma's slaves.

"We're getting beat and their ace isn't even playing," said receiver Yamada Fuugo. "That tells you something about us, doesn't it?"

"Shut up! We're ten times better than that mix-and-match team of theirs. Last year we completely annihilated them, but now it's 'cuz of all the publicity they've got with that blasted Eyeshield 21. It's getting to our heads and affecting our performance."

"Well, I might have a solution to beating them," quarterback Hiroto Sato said as he stood up from the bench. Standing at 184cm, he towered above them all. One word from him and they all fell silent. Hiroto continued.

"Although it is true that Eyeshield 21 has become quite an imposing figure, we must look to the fact that _he is not here_. Which means, Deimon's offensive power has been greatly reduced." A smirk formed on the faces of the other players as they began to see the situation in a new way.

"And not only that, without Eyeshield to support them, there is no doubt that Deimon is currently running on the false hope that they might win. But should that hope be severed, there will be no ace to support them, and they will fall into uncertainty and disarray. All we must do is give them a little push, and we have someone who can do that. Naoki, come."

At his word, a player rose from his seat from at the far end of the bench. He was of medium build, with a slight frame and long legs. One could tell that he was a sprinter.

"Everyone, it's time to prepare for the Deimon's demise."

Across the field, Hiruma had a sour expression on his face as he spied the other team with his binoculars.

"Tch, Namimori's gonna put in a new player for the second half." He said, lowering the binoculars. "From the looks of it, he's gonna be their replacement running back, but their must be something special about him that's got them all so giddy. So be on your guard!" he snapped to the team. He turned to Mamori. "Damn Manager, see what you can dig up about this Naoki Fukushima." Mamori crossed her arms in irritation.

"Mou, Hiruma-kun, stop calling me that!" she said, but nevertheless opened up her notebook. She pulled up all the data she had acquired on the Namimori Canaries' players, and her lips formed a frown. "I don't have any data on this Naoki fellow."

"Why is that, Mamori-san?" asked Tsuna. Hiruma cackled mockingly.

"Oh? You mean your data isn't up to date? Is there a fault in your scouting skills?"

"No!" protested Mamori, "I don't remember ever seeing a Naoki on the list of football players for their school. Sena was with me on the day we checked out Namimori, and if he were here, he'd vouch for me." At the mention of his name, everyone fell silent, hearts brooding over the state he must be in. Tsuna was anxious to get the game over with, so they could begin the search, as were the others. But this game was important to the Devil Bats and should they lose, they'll drop out of the Fall Tournament and kiss good-bye to any chance of playing in the Christmas Bowl.

Yukimitsu stepped in to change the topic. "Well, we still need to know what that guy is capable of. From the looks of it, he might have some speed on him, considering he's playing running back. We'll have to be on our guard and watch him."

"You heard the damn Baldy! Play like your lives depend on it and watch for my commands. Nothing's gonna stand in our way towards our goal for the Christmas Bowl! We'll kill 'em where they stand! YA-HA!"

"YA-HA!!" copied the rest of the team, and they moved out onto the field. Walking past Tsuna, Hiruma paused for a moment.

"Damn Pipsqueak, start warming up. Be ready for when you're called."

Tsuna started after him in shock. _What?! So soon? Oh, what am I gonna do?_ He sat there, fidgeting on the bench as the game continued.

* * *

"Here we are with the second half of this game with Namimori starting on offense. Will they be able to rake some points in? Or will Deimon overwhelm them completely? We'll have to find out. There goes the whistle! Quarterback Hiroto Sato receives the snap. Will it be a run or a pass? And it's a run! Number 49 takes the ball, and just look at him go!! His speed seems on par with Eyeshield's! Deimon's defenses are useless against him! Touchdown for Namimori!!"

Deimon's players stood in a trance as they heard the announcement. Everyone was thinking the same thing; _What just happened?_ It went by so quick, that none of them had a chance to move into position to block or tackle. They felt as though they knew what it must have been like for their previous opponents, facing a player with such terrifying speed. At least they found out what was so special about number 49…

Over the next quarter, Namimori made an instantaneous comeback, the speed of their new running back completely overwhelming the Devil Bats. No matter how they tried, Deimon couldn't keep up with Naoki's speed. Namimori's moral was increasing every second. Each pass was intercepted, each tackle was failed. Pretty soon the score stood at 18-28, with Namimori in the lead.

"What the hell are you doing?!" roared an enraged Hiruma. He unleashed a hail of bullets on the Deimon players, furious at their performance. "I thought I told you to be on your guard! But you idiots went and let them through! I oughta put some holes in you; maybe then you'll react faster!"

"But Hiruma-san," pleaded Monta, "how are we supposed to stop someone we can't even track? The only one who could have caught him is Sen-, er, Eyeshield 21."

Hiruma scrunched his eyebrows and frowned, baring his teeth. A shadow appeared behind him and he whirled around, throwing a dirty look at the person behind him.

"How do you like our newest player?" asked Tanaka, smirking. "His name is Naoki Fukushima. You might be wondering how he isn't in your data about us? Well, he joined only this morning, when we asked him on his way to his personal trainer. Did you know he has been chosen to represent Japan in the 2012 Olympics? It's not surprising, considering his excellence in the 100 meter dash. I daresay he could give your Eyeshield 21 a _run_ for his money, hmm?" (A/N: Sorry about the pun. When did puns fall out of style? They're clever!) Tanaka turned as Hiruma's eyes darkened, satisfied with a job well done. But as he walked, he could hear a low and menacing 'KE KE KE' trailing after him.

"Qualify for the Olympics? Well that's nice and all, but what's that got to do with football? Did the damn Fatty drop you on your ass to many times that it's even affecting your brain?" Tanaka glowered at that, having been knocked flat by Kurita countless times throughout the game. Hiruma continued. "Your team's intimidated by a guy who's not even here, if your performance in the first half tells us anything. No matter what recommendations they have, no one can best Eyeshield 21. Besides," Hiruma hefted his gun and started walking away, "pros aren't allowed in the Olympics." As Tanaka gaped and sputtered, he headed towards his side of the field, relishing in the fact of another psyche crushed.

Hiruma called for a huddle, and the team gathered around, nervous about the outcome of the game. They all looked to Hiruma for guidance.

"All right, listen up, you damn kids. For the final quarter, all we need to do is score two touchdowns and we're set. Since we're on offense, we can start that plan quickly. No matter what we play, I want you damn linesmen to open up a hole big enough that even damn Fatty here can get through. We'll keep things simple; the newcomers have yet to learn all our plays. Watch for my signal and react accordingly. Got that? Now move out!"

But as they positioned themselves on the field, Kurita still had doubts. "But what should we do when Namimori's on offense, Hiruma?" he asked. "None of us can stop Naoki." Hiruma grinned, showing his canines (all thirty-two of them).

"Why, we'll leave him to be dealt with by our specialist,"

The wind picked up and blew dust everywhere. There was a figure standing behind Hiruma. He stood proud and erect, white numbers blazing against his red uniform. His colored eyeshield gleamed in the sun, an orange beacon through the haze.

"Eyeshield 27."

* * *

**Notes: **

Well, I hope that game was believable enough for ya. You wouldn't believe how much research I went through to get all the right information. Oh, and a little tidbit on Naoki Fukushima; he's based on a Japanese Olympic athlete who won gold in the 200 meter dash for Japan last year, and I think he's been chosen to represent Japan again in 2012. His name is Naoki Tsukahara. Naoki in the story is not the same person, obviously. Well, that's all the time I have for you...people...I've got two other stories in my head and another waiting to be updated. And remember, review or Master Chief gets medival on your ass. And just a question; do any of you know who Dr. McNinja is? Later Days. (Uh-oh, I've got that music from the flood scene in Halo ringing in my head......at least, I _think_ its in my head......I'm scared...)

-Chindu, Prince of Darkness


	6. Chapter 6: And The Winner Is!

**Mistaken Identity**

* * *

Yo! Long time no update, eh? Six friggin' months, to be exact. Well I just wanna say, it's not my fault. It's yours. Yup. You're to blame. Ha ha. Uh-huh... Okay fine, it's my fault. I kinda lost inspiration for it, and got pounded with some other story ideas. I've been busy with Tod and Hal and possibly Dr. Mcninja. And games. Lots and lots of video games. And now I'm bored. Really really bored. I'M SO BORED! What kind of games are out there that are fun??? I'm so damn bored! Um, can't really think of anything else to say. Well, here ya go, enjoy this chapter. By the way, I really like reviews.

**Disclaimer: **I won't own Eyeshield 21 or Katekyo Hitman Reborn because if I did, people would forget all about them due to the amount of time between updates. That, and my sucky drawing skillz. Heheh, 'skillz'...

**Chapter 6: And The Winner Is...!**

* * *

_The wind picked up and blew dust everywhere. There was a figure standing behind Hiruma. He stood proud and erect, white numbers blazing against his red uniform. His colored eyeshield gleamed in the sun, an orange beacon through the haze._

"_Eyeshield 27."_

"Cough, cough, hack, cough, wheeze…" Tsuna struggled to breathe as he tried to expel the dust blown into his mouth. "Dusty…" he began, but trailed off as he noticed that a silence had suddenly taken hold of the field. He looked around, and realized with a startled 'eep!' that everybody was staring. At him.

"A-ano, w-what's going on-," He was cut off by Hiruma's demonic roar.

"Damn Pipsqueak, stop dawdling and get your ass in the huddle!"

"Eeek! H-hai!" He quickly scurried over to his fellow team members.

As Hiruma instructed them on their strategy, Tsuna asked the reason for the strange reception he got. "Psychological warfare," was what he said, and sent them to take their places of the field.

As Tsuna hurried to his position, he could hear the other players commenting on him, rather loudly.

"Hah, Deimon's relying on a shrimp for the last quarter? What are they, a bunch of idiots?"

"He doesn't seem like much. It must be a ploy of Hiruma's to intimidate us with a look-alike of their _mighty_ ace. Too bad it's not working!"

"Check out his little mittens! What is he, a grade schooler afraid his hands might get cold? HA HA HA HA!"

As Yamamoto restrained Gokudera from blowing up the opposition for offending their boss, Tsuna clenched his mitten-covered hands in determination. He brought them up and looked them over. Sure, they were unassuming and kinda dorky, but it was these gloves that helped him protect his family. They mirrored him in every possible way; weak, flimsy, and basically useless at first glance, but when the need arose would transform into a powerful force to be reckoned with. He wouldn't give them up for anything. It really was a shame he couldn't show them his full power. _Did I really just think that?_ Tsuna thought in surprise. He never thought he'd develop any sort of pride for anything, yet here he was, fuming over some petty words. _Just how much did I change?_

Tsuna stood hunched over, taking a deep breath. _This is it, _he told himself, _This is my time to shine. Everyone's counting on me so I've got to do my best. Time to show them what I can do, that I can at least bring some honor to the name of this Eyeshield whom they all respect. This is– OH MY GOD, THAT GUY'S HUGE!!!_ A Namimori linebacker placed himself in his line of sight, a towering mountain even at a distance. Tsuna trembled in his shadow. _It's hopeless! No way am I gonna be able to get past that! What was Reborn thinking, putting me out here? I'm useless!_ His pessimistic side took over and began ranting a list of reasons why he was going home in a body bag. Meanwhile, the commentators were busy doing a little ranting of their own.

"Now we've reached the final quarter! The score currently stands at 18-35, Namimori leading, thanks to the all-star efforts of their running back Naoki Fukushima. His quick feet have left the opposition scrambling in the dust! With only 15 minutes left in the game, will Deimon be able to catch up? Oh, what's this? It looks like Deimon has switched their running back, seemingly in response to Namimori's lead. And it's none other than their mysterious player Number 27 sporting the orange eyeshield! Will we finally get to see what skills he possesses, and if the similarities between him and Eyeshield 21 are more than just their outfits?"

Back on the field, Kurita readied the ball, waiting for Hiruma's signal.

"Set! Hut! Hut! HUT!" And with the flick of a wrist, the game began. As the linemen rushed forward to engage each other, Hiruma readied the ball. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for an opening, and upon finding his target, launched the ball with deadly precision. It shot through the crowd towards Monta, who adeptly caught it with both hands and proceeded to dash towards the end line. He ran with the ball as fast as he could, inching ever closer to the end zone. But to his horror, he saw a flash of movement in his peripheral vision as Naoki appeared right beside him. The opposing running back moved in to tackle him when-,

He was struck by a speeding comet.

At least that was what it looked like to the spectators. Right when Hiruma had called out the last 'Hut!', a sharp noise was overlooked. It sounded like a gun going off. Actually, it was a gun going off, aimed directly at Tsuna's chest. He felt a slight impact when the bullet hit him, and then everything went into auto-drive.

His senses expanded, his jittery nerves calmed, replaced by a cool, calculating mindset. An orange flame flickered to life on his forehead, but it was masked by his orange eyeshield, behind which his half-lidded eyes practically glowed with an inner flame. Discreetly, his previously woolen mittens transformed into their alter-ego, the silver and black X-Gloves. The minute the ball was thrown, he made a beeline for Naoki.

The plan was for him to intercept the running back and prevent him from tackling any of the players. Tsuna kept his glowing hands as hidden as possible as he propelled himself across the field, kicking up dust to hide the fact that he was flying. He saw surprised looks flash across the other team's players as he bulldozed his way through the crowd. It was much quicker to simply go through the crowd, he reasoned. The attempts to block him were futile, for nobody could hold down the power of his Dying Will flames. His eyes were locked on Naoki, who was going to tackle Monta. Adding a bit more speed, Tsuna charged and barreled into Naoki, extinguishing his flaming hands before they burned the other.

With Naoki out of the picture, Monta had an unhindered run to the end zone and scored as he tumbled into a victory pose.

"TOUCHDOWN, YA-HA!" Exclaimed Hiruma, the commenter mimicking his words.

"AMAZING! Such incredible show of power! Thanks to the efforts of Number 27, Naoki's run has been sealed and Deimon retaliates with full force!!!"

The result was unanimous; in the next few minutes Deimon dominated the field. The fact that they had someone who could not only out pace Naoki, but was also powerful enough to take down anybody on the field provided a huge moral boost for the Devil Bats. This sudden change in attitude was too much for Namimori, and they were pushed back yard by yard. Although Tsuna couldn't touch the ball in his Hyper-Dying Will mode, he effectively acted as a shield to clear a path for his teammates by systematically taking down any and all that were in their way.

"Such a perfect role for me," he said to himself as he tackled another player. "Being the shield that protects the family." The whistle blew as Ishimaru scored another touchdown. The score now stood at 30-35. All they needed now was one final touchdown to win the game.

Tsuna assumed his position on the field and waited for Hiruma's signal. There were only a few minutes left in the game and they were still far from the end zone. But Hiruma assured them that everything will work out according to plan. What plan, he didn't tell them, but simply sent them off to their posts, laughing manically. For some reason, Tsuna's hyper-intuition told him that something horrible was going to happen.

"Hut!" The ball was passed and the players moved instantly. Tsuna tracked Naoki and started making a dash for him when-

He tripped.

"Huh?" He picked himself, wondering what happened. Then he noticed that he hadn't transformed. Why didn't Reborn shoot him with the bullet?

* * *

**On the bleachers**

"Hmm, it seems I've run out of Rebuke bullets. Sorry, Tsuna." The baby hitman grinned as he pulled out a silver bullet from his pocket and loaded it into his gun. He was still smiling as he aimed it at Tsuna.

* * *

"There seems to be something wrong with Number 27! He's just standing still on the field, as if in a daze! Has Deimon's savior lost the will to fight?"

Tsuna was having a crisis. There was no way he could match up to Naoki in his current state. He wouldn't even be able to get past all those Namimori players to reach him. His teammates would go unprotected, and they would lose the ball. He had failed as a shield. Deimon was going to lose and it would all be his fault. They'll be withdrawn from the Fall Tournament. What will he do? What can he do?

A sudden impact on his chest toppled him over, and Tsuna fell flat on his back. _Am I dying?_ He thought. This sensation was strangely familiar but he couldn't quite recall it. All he knew was that a torrent of regrets flooded his mind; regrets of losing the game, regrets of failing everyone, and the regret of being the one responsible for Sena's kidnapping and not being able to get him back. And as these regrets built up inside him, a spark flickered like a lighter. It grew into a flame that materialized on his forehead. Determination and strength filled his mind and body as all other thoughts were disposed, focused only on one thing.

"REBORN!!" Tsuna shot straight up, bursting out of his uniform. He stood on the field in nothing but his helmet and his boxers. His tuna-fish dotted boxers. His hands were clenched into fists and loudly he declared, "WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME AS IF I WERE TO DIE!!!" From the corner of his eye, he saw the olive-shaped ball coming towards him. Tsuna grabbed it, tucked it securely under his armpit, and bulldozed down the field, knocking down Namimori and Deimon players alike. In no time he reached the end zone and skidded to a stop, seconds before the timer ran out. He raised the ball and slammed it onto the ground yelling "YAAAAH!!!"

All that was heard across the field was the sound of the football bouncing away. Thankfully, being the professional that he was, the referee snapped out of his shock and blew the whistle.

"T-touchdown!?"

With that word, the spell was broken and the whole place burst into laughter. Many people were falling off their seats, clutching their stomachs and gasping for breath. Most of the players on the field were on the ground, too winded from laughing to remember the outcome of the game. Even Hiruma's rattling gunfire didn't stop them from rolling on the ground. By this time, Tsuna had regained his composure and was currently trying to hide his embarrassment. It didn't help that his whole body had turned beet red.

"Oh god, kill me now!" He prayed to the heavens. Thankfully his identity was kept hidden by his helmet, but it still didn't make him feel any better.

"Superb touchdown, Tenth!" Gokudera called out as he came running, Yamamoto right behind him. "So like you to perform such a dramatic conclusion! It moved me to tears!"

_More like tears of laughter, _thought Tsuna. Yamamoto patted him on the back, congratulating him on his scoring. A low thundering was heard and his face blanched as he saw the whole Deimon team come barreling towards him. They surrounded Tsuna, laughing loudly at his antics and cheering for their victory. Gokudera was acting like a bodyguard, trying to shove them all away from his boss, but failing miserably. Yamamoto grinned and encouraged them.

"_Yatta_! You did it! We won!" Kurita yelled as he enveloped everyone in a bone-crushing hug.

"DEIMON VICTORY!! Thanks to that strange but extraordinary stunt pulled off by Number 27, the score ends at 36-35! What an amazing match we had today! Not only were we shown the skills of both teams, but we were able to witness the incredible power brought forth by Number 27! I guess it is only fair for him to bear the name 'Eyeshield 27'!!!"

Beneath the sounds of cheering, laughter, the occasional gunfire, and his own humiliation, Tsuna couldn't help but feel his pride and joy swell. People were cheering _for him_. Because of something he'd done. He'd always been the loser, the butt-end of jokes and mockery, No-Good Tsuna. But now, now…

Now that this was over, there were other matters to attend to, like the fact that Sena was still in the hands of an unknown group. They only had three days to find him and free him from his kidnappers, maybe sooner in case they discover that they had the wrong target and decided to eliminate him. They had to find him before then. But first…

"Can I get changed? It's kinda chilly out."

* * *

**Meanwhile, on the bleachers,**

Two men sat side by side on the bleachers, watching the conclusion of the game. They wore casual clothing, trying to blend into the crowd, but their accents gave them away as foreigners. Both were American, burly, and each wore a scowl on their faces. It was a wonder why there were given a wide berth by the other spectators.

"Geez, what the hell is up with these people?" Said the one on the left in English. "I know you told me there was gonna be a football game, but had I known it would turn out like this, I woulda punched you in the face."

"How was I supposed to know these people were freaks?" Said his partner. "Insulting the sport of Football like this. Still you gotta admit, it was pretty interesting. I mean, did you see the power in that little punk? He annihilated them!"

"Yeah, I guess. And he looks about the same size as the brat we got. I hear he's pretty powerful too. You think he can do that too?"

"Quiet! Not so loud! The boss will throw a fit if we let anything slip!"

"Come on, like these idiot monkeys can understand a thing we're saying."

"We should go now. We were lucky enough to sneak out for some air, but there's no telling what'll happen if we're caught." The other agreed and they both stood and left the scene. They didn't notice a black suited baby sitting behind them, memorizing their attire and processing their conversation.

* * *

**Mistaken Identity Omake 1**

After a swift dash to the change room, Tsuna walked out in his usual outfit and went to find the others. However, he was quickly ambushed by a team of reporters, asking him the whereabouts of Eyeshield 27 and who the hell was he. He nervously stammered out a lie that he was just the water boy and that Eyeshield 27 had already left. He let out a sigh of relief as they stormed away dejected. It would be very troublesome if people found out he was behind the helmet, not to mention the one who ran half-naked across the field. Thank god that was over. But as he walked down the hall, a horrific though struck him. This match was recorded and aired on television, across the whole city. Oh, the humiliation.

* * *

**Oujou Private Senior High School**

The members of the Oujou White Knights gathered around the television screen, mouths hanging open in shock. Deimon was known for their weird plays, but this one was the most shocking so far. Not to mention the appearance of yet another Eyeshield.

"S-so, another Eyeshield, huh?" Said Tamaki, adjusting his askew glasses. "Interesting."

"AH HA HA HA HA! That little man lost his pants!" Exclaimed Otawara, picking his nose and releasing some methane, singeing the nose hairs of everyone in the vicinity.

"Yeah, but did you see his power? He blew away those players like they were paper!" Said Sakuraba, slightly in awe. Shin spoke out in a firm voice.

"Regardless of what we face, Oujou shall prevail." However, in his mind, Shin was thinking, _If I faced this Eyeshield 27, will I be able to stop him?_ His running seemed a little off, like he wasn't actually using his legs. But his power couldn't be denied.

* * *

**Seibu Senior High School**

"W-well, Deimon is known for it's rather, _unique_, cast of players," commented Kid as he leaned back in his chair. "Where did you find this one, Hiruma?" Tetsuma simply started at the television. Riku was lost in thought, pondering about the game.

_Why did they need a replacement?_ He wondered, _Why didn't Sena play? This new guy is pretty powerful. Weird, but powerful. But he's no match for my speed._ Something still nagged at him, though, and he decided to pay his childhood friend a visit in the next few days.

* * *

**NASA High School**

"BWA HA HA HA HA!!! Who knew the Japanese could be so funny!" Homer exclaimed, spewing Coke on the laptop monitor. An irate Watt glared at him. Panther was dancing up and down, unable to contain his excitement.

"Oh man, I'm itchin' to go up against this guy! Quick, Watt, Homer, let's go have a match right now before I explode!" His Zero-Gravity Run propelled him out the room.

* * *

**Kyoshin Senior High School**

"Ne ne, see, Kakei?" Said Mizumachi eagerly. "Here's a guy after my own heart. Nothing compares to the feeling of wind against your bare skin. You should try it some time!" He then proceeded to strip.

"No thank you." Growled the teal-eyed linebacker. _Just what the world needs, _he thought, _Another public stripper._ _But this guy, he's unstoppable with that power. Just like Eyeshield 21. _His brow furrowed in frustration. With this many Eyeshields running around, how was he ever gonna find the one he met in America?

* * *

**Bando Senior High School**

"What the hell?! This is our opponent?!" Yelled Kotaro. "They're a bunch of weirdos!"

"Fuu~ But I must say, their rhythm carries an interesting beat across the field." Said Akaba, giving his guitar a strum.

"The hell does rhythm have to do with football?!"

Akaba ignored the question and continued to play his guitar.

* * *

**Notes:**

For the record, I do not think Japanese people are freaks or idiot monkeys. Monta maybe, but not the general populace. But seriously, with all those Eyeshields, someone should cash in on it. Copyright infringement, anyone? Like I'm one to talk. How d'you like the opinions of the other teams? First Omake. Hope it was accurate. Well, you know the drill; review, or expect updates like this one. Auf Wiedersehen!

- Chindu, Prince of Darkness

.........God damn this thing! Won't let me center things!!!......Swear to god, I will friggin' kill this retarded uploader......fine, you win. No centering titles....retarded piece of *grumble grumble*......


	7. Chapter 7: Post Game Snacks

**Mistaken Identity **

* * *

**Ah...hah hah...hi there. ****Um...so...what's up? How's it going? Everything's great? Really? Oh, that's nice...So. Two years. That's...pretty long. But hey, I'm happy to say that I've matured in these past two years. Yup. At the end of it, I took a step back and looked at this story and said "The fuck is this?". Yeah...well. Hmm. So yeah, looking back at the previous chapter, I'm thinking I didn't give the characters enough depth and stuff. I mean, their friend gets kidnapped and they start playing a football game? Some friends, eh? Well, it finally took me to update in two years what took me two days to write. Yup. Well, I hope there's still readers out there enjoying this. Have fun. (I have no idea what I'm doing)**

**Disclaimer: I think you've got the gist of it by now.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Post Game Snacks**

It was dark when he awoke. At first he thought it was still night time, and vaguely recalled a dream he had, something about a game….

The game!

The football match against Namimori! He was going to be late! Hiruma-san was going to kill him!

Sena struggled to get up, but something was restricting his limbs.

Ropes. His arms and legs were bound firmly to the chair he was sitting in, and there was some sort of band around his neck. A brief moment of confusion settled on him, wondering why he was tied up, when it all came back to him.

He had woken up extra early, excited to get to the game on time. He barely noticed what his breakfast was as he sped through it and dashed out the door. He was heading for the train station, walking down the street, when….Nothing.

_What happened?_

Panic began to set in. _Where am I?_ Sena thought desperately. _What's going on?_ His breathing became erratic. _What am I doing here? Why am I tied up? Who brought me here?_ He struggled desperately against his bonds, tears welling up in his eyes as fear rose inside of him. The ropes were tight and rubbed his skin raw, but in his state of anxiety Sena didn't notice. He just wanted to get out of here.

He struggled some more, each action enticing a small whimper from his lips. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and he was blinded by a harsh light.

"Keep quiet, ya little brat!"

Sena fearfully stared up at the hulking figure in the doorway, shaking uncontrollably but keeping silent. The figure turned away and slammed the door close, leaving him alone in the darkness.

Yamato heaved an aggravated sigh as he plopped back down to his chair. Why did he have to get stuck with guard-duty while the others got to go out? It was the dullest job, sitting around with nothing to do and a damned noisy brat making noise. He propped his feet back up onto the table. He wasn't even supposed to be here. He was on loan to some overseas big shots, a peaceful gesture from the local Yakuza. His boss told him these foreigners needed some extra muscle, and sent him along. Apparently, there was something special going on with that brat. Rumors were floating around that he was some important head of some family, and was probably worth a lot of money to someone. But, like a good low-level grunt, Yamato didn't ask questions. You don't live long in this kind of work by being nosy. But the two foreigners, Italian, by the looks of them, they gave off a weird vibe. They had bad news written all over them. Yamato couldn't wait for this job to be over.

Two men walked into the room, anticipation on their faces.

"Took ya long enough," Yamato commented disdainfully, still bitter about his job assignment.

"The bosses ain't back, are they?" The smaller of the two looked around nervously for a bit. Yamato shook his head.

"I wish they were. Then I'd get some entertainment from seeing you two get knocked around for playing hooky."

The other tried to retort, but was the cut off by the sound of a crash and stomping boots, coupled with muffled swearing. All three of them stiffened and looked to the door, just as it opened to reveal a tall man and a hooded companion. The latter had an irate look on his face, muttering under his breath, while the other simply ignored him.

"Who the hell thought it was a good idea to leave _this_ lying in the middle of the hall?" The angry man lifted up a garbage bag and brandished it to the trio of grunts cowering in the room.

"S-sorry sir. I-I'll get that out of the way right now." One of them took the bag and exited the room. It didn't seem to placate the fuming man as he now started to fling objects at the rest of the lackeys, yelling about 'stupid incompetent lazy morons'.

"How is the package?" Asked the taller one, unfazed by his counterpart's tantrum.

"F-fine, sir," Yamato answered, "I-in fact, I think he just woke up."

"Hmm, I had hoped for him to be unaware when we transport him, but I guess he's more resilient than what we first thought." He walked over to the door and placed a hand on the knob. "Let's introduce ourselves to our new…guest."

The door opened again and Sena let out a small whimper, afraid of whomever it was that came to yell at him again. But as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change, he saw what looked like a business man standing in front of him. He held a professional air around him, if his pristine blue suit and slacks were anything to go by.

"Ah, glad to see you're awake, _signor_ Vongola. Please excuse your current accommodations; they must be appalling for someone of your _posizione_." The man gave a slight bow, somehow making it seem respectful and mocking at the same time. "It is simply a safety precaution, for your sake as well as the sake of my staff. We have heard of your exploits, and would rather not have to deal with anything troublesome. The band around your neck is a special mechanism that cancels out any Dying Will Flames, so please do not trouble yourself with trying to use your power."

The man paused, and Sena took that opportunity to scrounge up his courage and ask "W-Who are you people? What do you want with m-me?"

The man in blue raised an eyebrow. "Who we are is of no importance to you. And it is not what we want, but rather, what my employers want. They simply wish for a chance to talk with you and your Guardians, and carry out some _negoziazione_. A letter has already been sent to your household, informing them of the situation. Everything will be settled within 72 hours, that is, if you comply with us. If you choose to be difficult, then-"

"-you're gonna start losing fingers, _bambino_!" Sena nearly shrieked when another man in a skull hoodie popped up and cackled at him. The business man glanced at the other man with a slight hint of impatience.

"Not quite the way I would put it, but yes, there will be consequences if you fail to follow instructions. Now then, we need to be on our way." The man took out a small remote and pressed a button. Sena felt a sharp sting on the back of his neck, and everything started to get hazy. It wasn't long before he returned to the darkness.

"Get him into the car." At Lucio's orders, the lackeys immediately started untying the unconscious boy and carried out of the room. He and his partner followed them out to the waiting vehicles.

"We're finally leaving this godforsaken _cesso_, eh?" Said Luca.

"_Si_. The plane leaves for _Napoli_ in an hour. If all goes well, this job will be over by this time the day after tomorrow."

"_Va bene…_will it be enough, though? This job, after we're paid…will it be enough?"

Lucio visibly stiffened. "Don't worry about that, _fratello_. I'll handle it; you focus on the task at hand."

"Che, _vabbè_, you handle it." The other man scowled and stalked out the door.

As the vehicles left the compound, no one noticed that the garbage bag that was tossed outside had begun to squirm and move. Before long, a baby popped out, dressed in a black fedora and suit. His beady eyes followed the cars until the rounded the curb, before retracting the listening device and tucking it in his suit. Abandoning his costume, Reborn pulled out a cellphone and quickly dialed a number. A voice answered on the third ring.

"It's me," he said in his squeaky child's voice, "Prep the jet. Get ready to receive nine passengers for a flight to _Napoli_."

He ended the call and began dialing a different number.

* * *

Tsuna fidgeted nervously under the table. With the excitement of the game worn off, the revelation of Sena's kidnapping finally hit home. The members of the Devil Bat team were gathered at his dinner table, and a heavy air of silence hung over them.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Mamori whispered, breaking the silence, "After everything I've done to protect him…it's like my worst fears are coming true." She quietly sobbed, Kurita trying his best to comfort her.

"We've got to rescue him, MAX!" Monta exclaimed. "We'll show those kidnappers a thing or two about laying a hand on a member of the Devil Bats!" Several of the players voiced their approval, raring to go and smash a few heads in search of their missing 'secretary'. But a gun slammed on the table broke their enthusiasm.

"You'll be doing nothing," Hiruma stated venomously, "In case you fuckers forgot, we have a match with Bando in just six days. You'll be training for that game."

"To hell with the game!" Jumonji roared, standing up, "One of our own was taken and all you can think of is some stupid football game? We should've canceled the Namimori match and gone searching for him!"

"And where would you start?" Hiruma glared. Jumonji faultered. "Exactly. This isn't some stupid high school rivalry; this is real. One wrong move and the pipsqueak is dead." Mamori gasped. "So you milk-drinkers will sit this one out. Got it?" No one challenged him. Everyone could now see just how serious this situation was, if even Hiruma was worried.

"I'll save him." Tsuna whispered. All eyes turned to him. "I'll save him," he said a little louder this time. "I'll bring him back to you. My friends and I, we can deal with this sort of stuff. We can handle it. Just leave it to us. Sena helped me once; it's only right that I return the favor."

He looked around the table and was rewarded with thankful smiles. There was a hand on his shoulder, and he turned and saw Yamamoto grinning next to him.

"Yeah, don't worry about a thing. We'll have Sena back in no time."

"Che, so you do have a backbone, damn Chibi," Hiruma commented, ignoring Gokudera's warning growls. "Now we-"

A ringtone cut him off and he pulled out a cellphone, flipping it open. As the call dragged on, Hiruma's lips drew into a grin. He finished the call and addressed the people present before him.

"Damn Squid-head, damn Smiley; go contact the 'Guardians' and tell 'em you're leaving for Naples in two hours. Damn Manager, tell the pipsqueak's folks that he's sleeping over at a friend's house. Give 'em the damn Chibi's house number. Damn Chibi, go tell whoever's watching the house to pretend the pipsqueak's your best friend and you're both having a grand time. Tell 'em to pay attention for any letters, messages, or people. If they receive any messages, tell them to relay it to this number." He handed Tsuna a piece of paper with a phone number on it. He'll need to explain things to his mom again. "The rest of you, get back to Deimon and train 'til your ears bled. Once we get the pipsqueak back, I expect to crush Bando like the bug they are! YA-HA!"

"YA-HA!" came the affirmation. Everyone filed out of the room to perform their respective duties. Tsuna lingered for a bit to talk to the spikey-haired captain.

"What will you be doing, Hiruma-san?" Tsuna asked. What he got in reply was a bone-chilling grin that promised destruction and mayhem.

"I'm gonna pay a visit to some of my 'pals'."

* * *

Yamato gave a sigh of frustration as he walked past the familiar doors of his boss's residence. He'd received an urgent call from him, yelling at him to get his ass to the manor at once. He'd just finished a job, and now the boss was gonna chew him out on something? What'd he do? He was so embroiled in his own whining that Yamato didn't notice the air of fear surrounding each and every member he passed on the way to the boss's office. He came to the door and knocked once before entering.

"You called for me, Boss?" He entered the room and was greeted to the sight of someone who was definitely NOT his boss sitting in the boss's chair, casually fiddling with a machine gun. The blonde punk had some nerve, sitting in the boss's seat, blowing a bubble with his bubble gum, his feet propped up on the boss's desk.

"Oi, you little fucker, just what do you think you're doing?" He started approaching the desk when a shout from the side stopped him.

"You damned fool! Show more respect to Hiruma-sama!"

Yamato recognized his boss's voice and finally noticed the man standing to the side of the room, practically shaking in fear. Yamato began to worry. He'd never seen the man afraid of anything, not when he was usually yelling out orders and insults and smacking around anyone who looked at him funny. What was going on?

"Boss? What, what's going on? Who's the kid?" That earned him a whack to the head.

"What did I just say? Hiruma-sama, please forgive me, he's one of the stupider ones on the lower ranks so he doesn't-"

"Shut up."

One word from the gun-wielding kid and his boss clammed up. Yamato was stunned. Just who was this guy? The teen stopped playing with his gun and took out a small black notebook. There was something ominous about that book, but Yamato couldn't remember what would give him this feeling.

"'Yamato Higurashi, son of Kenta Higurashi and Wakana Higurashi. Went to Namimori Public High, near bottom marks in school, joined the local Yakuza in grade 12. Every Tuesday, you pop over to the Red Lantern district to-'…Oh, well I didn't know they offered that kind of service." The strange teen looked up from his recitation of Yamato's life history, an eyebrow quirked and an expectation lingering.

"You…how…how do you know all that?" Yamato asked, flabbergasted.

"Che, you don't even remember, do you? Well, I did have black hair back then, so maybe that threw you off a little…"

Then it hit him all at once: The black hair, the black book, the cackling laughter. When he stared back at the figure before him with wide eyes, what he saw this time was not a teenager, but the Devil himself.

"B-B-Black Book D-Demon…" His knees failed him and he fell to the ground, kneeling in terror. Then came that terrible laughter that sent shivers down his spine.

"Ke ke ke, so you DO remember me." The Demon took out a picture and showed it to him. It was an image of the brat he was guarding, in the same chair and room. He knew because he had taken the photograph. "Let's test that memory of yours, shall we? Tell me everything you know about your job with the pipsqueak."

* * *

**Notes: That Italian class didn't do shit for me. You know why I took it? Assassin's Creed II. Yup. I took a class because of a video game. Eh. No regrets. I hope this was worth the two-year wait. ****If you have any ideas to contribute, please do so. I am a confused individual with no idea of where this is going. Which means slow updates. Which means more waiting periods like this one. Which is bad. I suck, you...probably do too, but less than me. So g'head, review. You know you want to. Ciao.**

**- Chindu, Prince of Darkness**

**P.S. I'm really, really sorry. Really. We still BFFs? **


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